How often should you clean your washing machine? Mum reveals how she keeps her washer grime-free and sparkling all year round
- A frugal mother has revealed how often she cleans her washing machine
- Jody Allen said cleaning machine regularly gets rid of build-up grime and mould
- She uses two simple ingredients to clean her machine once every two months
- She's known for slashing her family-of-four's weekly grocery bill to just $50
A frugal mother who feeds her family-of-four for $50 a week has revealed how often she cleans her washing machine and how she keeps it mould-free all year round.
Jody Allen, from Queensland, said cleaning your appliance regularly eliminates 'musky' smells, build-up dirt, grime and mould lurking inside top and front loaders.
'I clean my machine about once every two or three months,' she said on her blog.
'But you can do it really as often as you like. If you are washing greasy clothing or heavily soiled children's clothing, do it more often.'
Jody Allen (pictured), from Queensland, said she cleans her washing machine once every two to three months to keep it mould-free all year round
To clean a front loader, the founder of Stay At Home Mum suggested adding two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda into the detergent drawer and 1/2 cup of white vinegar into the drum.
Next, run a complete washing cycle on the hot setting without any laundry or detergent.
'Just keep an eye on the machine while it's washing as you may find it suds up a lot inside due to the build-up of soap residue. The more often you clean your machine, the less often this will occur over time,' she said.
'I have used these methods with my own front loader machine many times and can attest to its effectiveness. I have owned my front loader machine now for seven years and it hasn't missed a beat.'
Share this article
Jody said you should also clean the filter as 'clogged filters are the leading cause of problems in front loading machines'.
For a top loader, Jody suggested running a normal wash cycle on hot and place then 1/2 cup of bicarbonate of soda and two cups of white vinegar in, once the machine has filled with water.
'Let it run as usual. The bicarb and vinegar breaks down any grease or dirt particles and keeps the hoses nice and clean,' Jody said.
She said cleaning your appliance regularly eliminates 'musky' smells, build-up dirt, grime and mould lurking inside top and front loaders (stock image)
To clean dirty fabric softener dispenser, she said remove it, then place it the top basket of your dishwasher or rinse it in hot soapy water and allow to dry in the sun.
If there's a 'musky' smell, Jody said that's a warning sign that there's mould lurking around in your washing machine.
For a front loader, she said add two tablespoons of bleach to the detergent dispenser and run empty on the hottest cycle.
'Don't use any more than that or it could over-sud and this can ruin the electronics in your machine. You may need to repeat this a few times for particularly bad mould problems,' she said.
For a top loading machine, fill the machine with hot water and add one cup of bleach. Allow the water to agitate for 10 minutes, then discard the water.
She suggested running a second cycle on empty to get rid of any bleach residue.
A repair technician warned Australians to never close the washing machine door when it's not being used, as unwanted mould and bacteria can lead to mould and bacteria build up
Earlier this year, a repair technician warned Australians to never close the washing machine door when it's not being used, as unwanted mould and bacteria can lead to mould and bacteria build up.
'The first thing I tell people when I'm called out to a job is to start leaving the doors on their washing machines open when they're not using it. Keeping it closed for hours and days on end can cause all sorts of problems,' he said.
'It's the mould and grime build-up, which is your biggest problem. A lot of people have to change the seal on their machines due to a scum and build-up and that can be largely avoided or prolonged by keeping the door open.
'Your big problem is warm water being trapped in there. If the door's closed, then bacteria and mould can breed and no-one wants that.'
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
